Unity Technologies, the company behind the popular Unity game development engine, today announced that it has made its basic mobile tools completely free to independent developers and small studios.

From today, any indie developers can publish their games and apps on iOS and Android via Unity's build menu. Not only that, but additional mobile platforms like BlackBerry and Windows Phone 8 will also be free to publish for once Unity support is released.

The basic license originally cost $800 for both iOS and Android combined, but by making the licence free, Unity says that it is "looking to take steps towards creative and fiscal freedom." Those developers looking to make use of the Pro license, which introduces additional features, will still need to pay a subscription.

"We were able to make Unity free for the web and for desktop computers a while ago, but have been dreaming of doing the same for mobile for what seems like forever," explained David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies.

"Mobile games development is possibly the most dynamic and exciting industry in the world, and itís an honor to be able to help so many developers be so successful in fulfilling their visions and in building their businesses."

Update: Unity CEO David Helgason has given more information on the Unity blog, explaining that the free mobile version is an extension of Unity Free, which was originally launched in 2009.

"As before, companies and other 'incorporated entities' (you know who you are) with a turnover in excess of $100,000 in their previous fiscal year are required to use our paid version," he explains. "That way, we can keep the lights on and continue to make Unity better for everyone."

He also noted that Unity will soon be reaching out to those developers who purchased basic add-ons in the 30 days before they went free, to offer discounts on future purchases. Read more in the official blog post.